More Leek Love

Some might consider this to actually be a fancy Sunday meal, but it comes together fairly quickly and is just oh-so-comforting after a harrowing day at work, that I say we should all treat ourselves to it during the week.  That’s right, folks, an old favorite of mine (read more about it here [with a hilarious ode to biscuits!] and here), the Leek and Bean Cassoulet from Veganomicon.

perfection.

What’s not to love about this dish?  The mellow and smooth onion flavor of the leeks, creamy white beans, tender and sweet carrots, hearty potatoes…all in a velvety gravy, flecked with fresh thyme, and topped with fluffy biscuits.  By the way, don’t skimp and use dried thyme for this, I did once and ruined it.  Fresh is the only way to go!  At first glance, this recipe may seem a bit involved, but the way the instructions are written shows that, if you’re a good multitasker (which I am), this can really come together in around an hour, maybe less if you’re a fast chopper.

I changed only one thing this time around – instead of using two leeks and an onion, I just used three leeks.  Because I love leeks that much.  Plus, you can only buy leeks in bundles of three around here, so I figured I might as well use them all up.  This is especially delicious once you break up the biscuit and it gets all covered in the gravy and you can eat up little bits of the biscuit with each bite.  Like dumplings, but not gross (wet dough, ugh).

And really, it just looks so pretty and rustic in that cast iron pan, doesn’t it?  Unfortunately, I didn’t finish this until way after dark, so the photos are a little…discolored, even after retouching.  You get the idea, though.  Veggies!  Leeks!  Beans!  Gravy!  Biscuits!  Hooray!